Wind Damage...

Yesterday started out to be a gorgeous day!

We said good bye to our last puppy...headed off to Church...had lunch...and relaxed a little before going to Jenna's orchestra concert...in the MGB with the top down...

But when we came out from the concert, the sky was black.  Hmmm...this was unexpected!  We hurried home, put the top up on the MGB and got ready for evening milking.

Suddenly out of the west, the wind began to blow...and blow...harder and harder.  Jenna and I watched from the kitchen window as an empty hay wagon rolled seemingly effortlessly across the yard, across the road and into the neighbor's yard, coming to rest against a tree, thankfully without doing any damage.

There wasn't much thunder, lightening, or rain...just about 15-20 minutes of strong winds.

After it was over, we looked to the west, up in the field where Jim finished baling corn fodder on Saturday afternoon...

We've never had anything happen like this before.  It looks like the side of the green wagon might have a little damage where it hit the ground, but Jim will look it over closely later today when he uprights it again.

Thankfully nothing worse happened.

There's a lot of power in the wind!

From Farm Dog To World Traveler...

I just can't resist sharing this adorable (yes, I'm biased!!) picture with you this morning.  Cheryl and Frank sent me this picture of Findlay on Monday night.

From northeast farm dog to southwest world traveler!  Findlay traveled in a car, on a plane, on a train, and got to take her first cruise...all in one day!

I just want to scratch those soft, warm little ears and have her lick my face one more time!

Thanks for the picture, Cheryl, and love on her for me!

Saying Goodbye To the Puppies...

It's getting a little lonely around here these days!

Last week at this time we had seven puppies running around, rolling in the flower beds, playing tug of war with a chew toy, chasing Murphy for the elusive drink and pointing at the chickens.

As of this morning, we have only three.

Watching kids pick out their favorite puppy...watching people meet the dogs they chose by sight on the internet...it's all good.

Wilbur left for his new home in New Jersey on Thursday, Reggie and Nugget left for New Jersey and Pittsburgh on Saturday, and this morning Cupcake (aka Findlay) is flying home to Arizona.  Jenna left early for school this morning and said her goodbyes while it was still dark.

Meet our new friends Frank and Cheryl...

We had so much fun meeting them yesterday afternoon and hosting them overnight while they met and got to know Findlay.  They took us out to dinner last night, and there was no lack of things to talk about!  Findlay is going to have a great life in Arizona, we just know it!

*Findlay and her family made it safely to Phoenix...and the word is that she was an amazing traveler!

This Friday we'll say goodbye to Mocha (Delaware) and Ted (aka Cooper) will go to New Jersey next Sunday.  That leaves us with...

Phoebe!

I'm sure you'll be seeing more of this pretty gal!

One Of Those Days...

It's been one of those days...

One of those weeks, really...

Way too much to do and not nearly enough time to do it.  I shouldn't really even be taking time to sit and write this post, but I'll make it quick!  I don't want to forget how sometimes when we feel overwhelmed, God puts just the right people into our lives at just the right place, at just the right time!

Here's some cuteness to go along with my "story"...

Reggie

These dear, sweet puppies are some of what's taking up so much of my time.  I'll miss them like crazy when they go to their new homes, but in the meantime, it's like watching a whole bunch of toddlers that all have different ideas of what they want to do for fun.  They need to run...a lot...so we let them out numerous times through out the day...

I can't see their collars, so I don't know who is who here...

Anyway...the past few days have been just crazy busy.  Jim's been picking corn, I've been watching puppies and trying to get housework done in between milkings, etc.  Yesterday afternoon, our refrigerator decided it had had enough, and it bit the dust.  No fixing it.  I put perishables into coolers overnight, and this morning I headed out fridge shopping.

I don't need bells and whistles in a fridge, and am usually content with left over models or scratch and dent appliances.  I headed to the closest appliance store (which isn't known for their good prices) and got lucky. Really lucky.  They had a floor model fridge...a discontinued model way discounted...with two tiny scratches on the doors that they sold me...deliverable this afternoon...with no installation or delivery fee, and will take the old one away at no charge!

While I was running around looking for a fridge, Jim headed back to the field to finish picking corn, without having time to get the morning "chores" done.  Bedding up the cows, cleaning out gutters, etc got pushed to the side today.  While I was emptying out the old fridge, the phone rang.  I saw on the caller ID that it was our Amish neighbor who's son helps us three nights a week.  I assumed that she was calling to say that he couldn't come tonight. But NO...she was calling to say that he had a half day of school today and "would we have something he could help us with this afternoon?"

I could have cried.  I am so thankful that when life feels overwhelming...no matter how insignificantly so...that God sometimes sends circumstances into our lives as a reminder to us that we matter!

And oh...to top it all off?  I found some chocolate in the crisper drawer while cleaning out the old fridge!   :) :)

Sunrise...

Tuesday, October 18, 2016...

Same time, same place...just doing a little experimentation with my camera.

I'm joining TexWis Girl with Good Fences today

Harvest 2016...

Fall harvest is in full swing all around these days...

Last evening the combine arrived to harvest soybeans.  They finished combining late last night, and emptied the last of the beans from the grain cart into the semi this morning...

Then it was time to switch from the bean head to the corn head...

Then he headed out across the harvested bean field towards the corn.  He opened up the fields here at home so that Jim could pick the rest of the corn here for the corn crib...

Jim began picking around lunch time this morning, and here are the first two bin wagons emptied into the corn crib...

Jim doesn't fill the crib every year, but decided it would be a good idea this year to pick at least a portion of our fields rather than shell them out to be sold or stored in the grain bank.

If the weather stays nice and the equipment works like it should, he should hopefully finish up by tomorrow.  Then it will be time to shred stalks and bale corn fodder.

First Frost...

After a record setting hot summer, we woke up on Tuesday morning to our first frost...

It wasn't a hard, killing frost, but a sure reminder that the seasons do change, as always!  Our typical "frost date" here is around October 15th, so it really wasn't that early.  It's been flannel shirt and jeans weather in the barn (for me at least), and that's a welcome change...

The cows have been staying in overnight the past few days, and the tender plants on porches are gradually moving inside.

The puppies are spending their nights in the barn too.  They're seven weeks old now, have had their vet checks, first round of shots, etc, and are for sale, available for adoption next weekend!  They're so sweet...but I feel like the Mom of seven toddlers, continually counting heads when they're out for playtime.  Oh my.

The wear themselves out playing. Here they're playing tug of war with a dog toy...
(photo courtesy of my friend Denise who came to visit yesterday with her daughter)

...and then they crash...

Just like toddlers!

We're going to miss them when they're gone!

Waiting For Breakfast...

There are so many creatures around here depending on us for their breakfasts...

These two heifers in the corner hutch saw me coming.  They're anticipating hay, grain and silage...

The chickens get excited when I fill their water tub, knowing that something else is coming soon...

Murphy saw me toss some stale bagels into the chicken pen yesterday, and she's been keeping vigil...thinking that somehow, sometime, she'll get one. Shy of digging under the fence...which she tried...grrrrr...she's going to be waiting a long time...

The puppies have been staying in the warm barn overnight, and they can hardly contain themselves when they see someone in the morning. Anticipation of freedom and breakfast and attention has them so excited...

How do you anticipate your breakfast?